Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c18.s1.71

v2.c18.s1.71

How can these considerations be made to square with the historical facts before us? To prove that the Kurumbars as a large section of the people existed only in the Karṇāṭaka in the Vijayanagara times, we may note the evidence of a contemporary traveller. Linschoten, as we have already seen elsewhere, thus writes about them:—"The Canariins and Corumbiins are the Countrimen, and such as deale with Tilling the Land, Fishing and such like labours...They are in a manner blacke, or of a darke browne colour, many of them Christians, because their chief habitation and dwelling places are on the Sea-side, in the Countries bordering upon Goa, for that the Palm-trees doe grow upon the Sea coasts, or upon the bankes by River sides."¹ Linschoten of course wrote in A.D. 1583. The fact that many of them were Christians around Goa does not invalidate our assumption : on the other hand, the evidence of Linschoten tends to prove that the Kurumbars were to be seen prominently in the districts round Goa.